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The Child Housekeeper 



The Child Housekeeper 

Simple Lessons, with Songs, 
Stories, and Games 



By 

Elizabeth Colson 

and 

Anna Gansevoort Chittenden 

Music by Alice R. Baldwin 
Illustrations by Alice Leonore Upton 

Introduction by Jacob A. Riis 



After all, there is nothing so practical in education as the 
ideal, nor so ideal as the practical ' ' 



' . , • » 



New York 

A. S. Barnes and Company 

1903 



THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies Received 

MAY 16 1903 

Copyright Entry 

CUSS Q- XXc. No. 

COPY d. 



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Copyright, jgoj 
By A. S. Barnes and Company 



^// rights reserved 



Published May, 1903 



< 1 1 . 



UNIVERSITY PRESS ■ JOHN WILSON 
AND SON • CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. 



Introduction 

THIS is emphatically a good and a 
great thing to do. Any one who 
can put poetry into dish-washing, 
and spring sunshine into the house-cleaning 
we men had learned to associate only with 
colds and with loose tacks and bad language, 
has given the world a real boost toward the 
better day. For when it comes to that, the 
best of that day will always be the home, as 
it is of this, and whoever helps make it better 
and brighter by putting cheer into the things 
which were slavery before, why, that one is 
a real Santa Claus of all the seasons. Making 
two blades of grass grow where one grew 
before is great; but to bring them into the 
house, into the kitchen, — grass, daisies, and 
all, — and the sunshine, and the summer 
winds, and the birds with them, is to make 



Introduction 

happy house-mothers out of weary wives of 
the future. And when that comes to pass 
we shall not have to fight King Alcohol and 
his vassals. The war will be over. For who 
will be tempted away from home when that 
is the cheeriest and brightest spot in the 
landscape? 




V: 



Foreword 

SOME of the people with whom we 
have been associated in teaching house- 
keeping to children have asked us to 
write out a few of our experiences. 

Our object is to teach young girls to work 
neatly and intelligently at home with the 
utensils and materials there provided, and 
not to train them to become servants. 

We have tried to make these lessons sug- 
gestive rather than final, in order that the 
ideas may be developed to meet the require- 
ments of each group of pupils. 

Familiar talks and stories assist greatly 
in the class work, and we give a few exam- 
ples of the kind that we have used with suc- 
cess. Although directions are given for a 
class of twelve, for convenience in writing, 
it is quite as easy to arrange for larger or 

smaller groups. 

vii 



Foreword 

Each subject is condensed to a single 
chapter ; but it is intended that each teacher 
shall divide the chapter into as many lessons 
as she thinks best. Frequent reviews and 
repetitions are desirable, as only the most 
important features of housework are included 
in the text. 

In conclusion we express the hope that our 
suggestions will prove helpful, and we shall 
feel well repaid for our work if by it others 
are induced to take up this important sub- 
ject of Domestic Science for children. 

Elizabeth Colson. 

Anna Gansevoort Chittenden. 



Vlll 



Contents 

Page 

Housekeeper's March ........ 2 

Opening Song — "To Work, To Work! " . 4 

Opening Exercises 7 

Chapter 

I. Fire Building 15 

II. Setting the Table 33 

III. Washing Dishes 51 

IV. Bed Making 69 

V. Sweeping and Dusting 87 

VI. Cleaning 117 

VII. Laundry Work 133 

VIII. Mending 159 

IX. Care of the Baby 173 



The Child Housekeeper 



Housekeeper's March 



Alice R. Baldwin. 



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The 

Child Housekeeper 

OPENING EXERCISES 

WHEN the bell rings, have 
the children form a line. 
Play a march on the piano 
while they are taking their places at 
the table. Each child stands behind 
her own chair; strike a bell three 
times. The first stroke is the signal to 
draw out the chairs; the second, for 
the children to seat themselves ; and the 
third, for them to draw in the chairs. 
Then sing the opening song: — 

TO WORK, TO WORK! 

Oh, hear the ring of the silvery bell, 
And the message clear it has to tell ; 
We listen all, for we love it well, 

7 



The Child Housekeeper 

This joyous ring of the silvery bell. 
Hear the bell, bell, bell, 
And the message it will tell ! 

Chorus — 

To work, to work ! there is much to do, 
The time is short that is given you. 
Away to your work and do it well, 
Is the message clear of the silvery bell. 

In many cases it is thought wise to 
charge each child a penny a lesson. 
The material used by the children in 
making iron-holders, match-scratchers, 
and other things to be taken home, is 
usually bought with this money. 

After the song, call the roll, and if 
tuition is charged, collect the pennies 
before the lesson is given. 

Kindergarten chairs and tables are 
very convenient. A list of the articles 
needed for these lessons will be found 
at the beginning of each chapter, but 
in many cases substitutes can be found 
that will do as well. 
8 



Opening Exercises 

The children are supposed to wear 
caps and aprons at each lesson. 

The Lesson Talk has been planned 
to assist in the presentation of the les- 
sons. The ideas can be given in a 
different way to those who are too 
advanced for such simple language. 

The materials used, and some of the 
methods employed, are primitive, but it 
is a good thing to teach the use of the 
common, every-day things. If many 
utensils are used in the class, it will be 
hard for the children to work without 
them elsewhere. 



FIRE BUILDING 



Building a Fire 



Alice R. Baldwin. 



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coal goes on last, If we build, as we should, The 



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When we see the bright flame 

That wraps 'round the pine, 
We know 'tis the sunshine, 

So warm and so fine, 
That God in his kindness 

Poured down on the tree ; 
And to-day in the lire 

It warms you and me. 



J 3 



Chapter I 



FIRE BUILDING 

"One touch of fire, and 
All the rest is mystery." 

ARTICLES NEEDED FOR THIS LESSON 

A bundle of kindling sticks. 

Matches. 

A pile of newspapers. 

A box of hard coal. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

HIS lesson offers the op- 
portunity to tell city chil- 
dren something of nature. 
Before taking up the question 
of fire building, the teacher 
should be sure that the children 
have a fair idea of the origin of paper, 
wood, and coal, and of a few of their uses. 
15 




The Child Housekeeper 

We have found that some city children, 
when asked where wood comes from, 
reply that it comes from the grocery 
store. Here is the chance for the 
teacher to give the pupils a broader 
meaning to some of the common words 
of every-day life. Ask the children to 
name the parts of a tree and explain to 
them its growth from a seed. An acorn 
will illustrate the talk. The food and 
drink (air, rain, and sunshine) of the tree 
are interesting subjects. By showing 
the grain of the wood, it is a simple 
matter to explain about the sap, which 
we liken to the blood in our veins. 

A pretty idea to give about the flame 
is that it is imprisoned sunshine set free. 

MY HICKORY FIRE 

Oh, helpless body of hickory tree, 
What do I burn, in burning thee ? 
Summers of sun, winters of snow, 
Springs full of sap's resistless flow; 
All past year's joys of garnered fruits; 
16 



Fire Building 

All this year's purposed buds and shoots ; 

Secrets of fields of upper air ; 

Secrets which stars and planets share; 

Light of such smiles as broad skies fling, 

Sound of such tunes as wild birds sing ; 

Voices which told where gay birds dwelt, 

Voices which told where lovers knelt; 

Oh, strong white body of hickory tree, 

How dare I burn all these in thee ? 

H. H. 

RULES FOR BUILDING A FIRE 

There are five things needful : paper, 
wood, coal, air, and a match. Use a 
table for the imaginary stove. Tell the 
children to open the dampers and 
draughts when a real fire is to be built, 
so as to have plenty of air. Tear the 
paper and crumple it into balls. Let the 
children make some of these balls and 
place them on the imaginary stove. Have 
them cross the sticks on the paper and 
put on the coal. Dwell on the terrible 
danger of using kerosene to make the 
fire burn quickly. 

2 I 7 



The Child Housekeeper 

OCCUPATION FOR CHAPTER I 

When the lesson is completed, let the 
children make match-scratchers to take 
home. A piece of sandpaper mounted 
on a square and tied at the top with a 
piece of ribbon makes a simple one. 

LESSON TALK 

Many of us have no doubt seen work- 
men build a house, and have noticed that 
they first make a foundation, then put 
up the walls, and lastly cover with the 
roof. They work in this order because 
without the foundation the walls could 
not stand, and without the walls the 
roof could not be supported. There- 
fore we see how important the founda- 
tion is. Some one may wonder what 
that has to do with housekeeping. 
Well, housekeeping is like building in 
this respect, for it has a foundation. 
What do you suppose it is ? If we think 
18 




.^ixeliJWfter, 



Fire Building 

hard for a moment, we shall say it is the 
fire, for without the fire we could not 
cook the meals, we could not wash the 
dishes, we could not clean, or do laun- 
dry work. So we see how necessary 
it is to know just how to build the 
fire. Five things are needed before we 
can begin to work : paper, wood, coal, 
air, and matches. They are simple, and 
we know their names very well ; but let 
us see if we can learn more about them. 
We have all seen the ragmen go through 
the streets, collect old rags from the ash- 
barrels, and take them away in push carts 
or in big bags. Perhaps we have won- 
dered what these men were going to do 
with the rags. As we look at this 
smooth piece of white paper, it is hard 
to believe that it was made from old, 
soiled rags; but such is the truth. The 
ragmen sold them to a paper factory, 
where they were washed, crushed to 
pulp, and finally made into paper. How- 

21 



The Child Housekeeper 

ever, only fine paper is made of rags. 
The cheaper grades, such as newspaper, 
are made from wood and straw. Now 
that we have learned of what paper is 
made, let us see for what it can be used 
in the home. One thing we remember, 
— it helps to build a fire; and we know 
it is useful in many other ways. When 
Jack Frost bites our toes, if we put some 
newspaper in our shoes it will help to 
keep our feet warm. When the cold 
weather comes and we find our coats are 
thin, some newspaper put over our chests 
and backs will help to keep us warm. 
This is because paper is so made that 
air cannot get through it. Now let us 
go on to the next step, — or shall we 
call it a stone in our foundation ? 

If paper is useful in a house, surely 
wood is more so. Look about the room 
and see how many things are made of 
wood. Think what a number of trees 
have been used to build the floors, the 
22 



Fire Building 

window-frames, the chairs, the tables, 
in just this one room. 

Let us shut our eyes for a few mo- 
ments, and see if our minds will form 
for us a picture of the beautiful forests 
of trees that were cut down to make all 
these things. We can see the trees 
standing tall and straight, living with air, 
sunshine, and rain for food and drink, 
each year growing taller and stronger. 
We can see the tree from which this 
table was made. It may have been an 
oak tree. It is hard to believe that a 
great oak was once so little that an acorn 
like this was its cradle. 

cc Then here 's to the oak, 
The brave old oak, 
That stands in his pride alone ; 
And still flourish he, a hale, green tree, 
When a hundred years are gone." 

If we could see the top of its branches, 
we should rind the pretty nest, and the 
mother bird sitting on the tiny eggs 
23 



The Child Housekeeper 




to keep them 
warm. Then 
we see the little 
birds that have 
pecked their way out 
of the shell opening 
wide their mouths for 
the food that the mother 
and father bring them. 
Sometimes they cry when 
they are alone, and the tree 
rocks the cradle gently, and the 
wind sings softly to the tiny creatures. 
There are different kinds of wood, 
and some are hard and some are soft. 
Here is a piece of soft pine. We see 
how easily we can dent it with the thumb- 
nail and cut it with the knife. For these 
reasons we call it a soft wood. We use 
it for kindling because it catches fire 
easily and burns more quickly than 
hard wood. It is also much less ex- 
pensive. 

24 



Fire Building 

Ages ago, before there were men or 
animals, God planted great forests of 
trees. He planned to make these trees 
useful to the people that would inhabit 
the earth in years to come. Time 
passed ; the trees grew, ripened, and at 
last, tired of standing, fell down. Then 
the leaves from neighbouring trees 
dropped upon them ; moss and vines 
grew over them, and they were buried. 
Other trees fell upon them, and pushed 
them under the ground. Great rocks 
rolled upon them, which sent them fur- 
ther into the earth. As the ages went 
by, the trees changed slowly, and when 
men dug them out of the earth, they 
were like hard, black stones. The word 
wood could not be properly used to de- 
scribe them, so a new word was found, 
and that new word is coal. Now and 
then on a piece of coal we can see the 
impression of a leaf, or the pattern of a 
fern, which proves to us the origin of 
25 



The Child Housekeeper 

coal. So you see that paper, wood, and 
coal are related. 

Here is a riddle ; can you guess the 
answer ? 

I am as black as black can be, 

And yet I shine. 
My home was deep within the earth,. 

In a dark mine. 

Ages ago I was buried there, 

And yet I hold 
The sunshine and the heat which moved 

That world of old. 

Though black and cold I seem to be, 

Yet I can glow ; 
Just put me in a blazing fire, 

Then you will know. 

LUCY WHEELOCK 

(by permission) 

Now we have come to the last thing 
that is needed to build a fire, — air. 
When we wish air in a room, we 
open the windows. The dampers and 
draughts are the windows of a stove, so 
26 



Fire Building 

we open them wide. Of course we 
only play at building a fire to-day, so 
this table will be our stove. 

Let us crumple the newspaper into 
balls and place them on the table ; we 
cross the pine sticks over them, and on 
top of all put some pieces of coal. The 
fire is now ready to light. When we 
see the pretty yellow rlame we must re- 
member that it is the sunshine that has 
been imprisoned in the tree. All the 
heat that the sun gave to the tree in the 
forest, so many years ago, is given back 
to us to-day. 

Song : " Building the Fire." 



STORIES 



" The Fir Tree," Hans Christian Andersen. 

" The Little Pine Tree," St. Nicholas Magazine, 
May, 1889, page 510. 

"Three Trees," St. Nicholas Magazine, Octo- 
ber, 1 89 1, page 904. 

" How Matches are Made," St. Nicholas Maga- 
zine, March, 1878, page 315. 

27 



The Child Housekeeper 

" Paper, Its Origin and History," St. Nicholas 
Magazine, August, 1864, page 808. 

" The Talk of the Trees," in « The Story Mother 
Nature Told," Jane Andrews. 



28 



SETTING THE TABLE 



Setting the Table 



Alice R. Baldwin. 



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For all must eat, and if tables are neat, 

And everything clean and bright, 
We will prove to all that children, though small 

Can soon learn to do things right. 



3 1 



Chapter II 
SETTING THE TABLE 

Polly put the kettle on, we'll all have tea." 



ARTICLES NEEDED FOR THIS LESSON 

I table. 

I tablecloth. 



4 knives, forks. 
4 butter dishes. 
4 glasses. 

4 cups and saucers. 
i milk pitcher. 



8 spoons. 

4 napkins. 

4 plates. 

i large spoon. 

i teapot. 

I sugar bowl. 

I serving tray. 




GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

T is well to have the class 
furnishing very sim- 
ple. Let it consist 
only of a cooking- 
stove, a table, and a 
closet. Dispense with 
all unnecessary terms, such as serving 
table and sideboard. 
3 33 



The Child Housekeeper 

If there is no stove or closet in the 
room, appeal to the children's imagina- 
tions, and the need will be very well 
supplied by a chair and a table. Place 
the table furnishing in the imaginary 
closet. 

Appoint four children to set the table, 
four more to seat themselves at it when 
all is ready, and four more to serve some 
simple food, — crackers and milk, per- 
haps. Repeat several times, or until each 
child has helped to set the table, serve 
the food, and been served by the 
others. 

If the class is large it is a good thing 
to have more than one table. 

If there is time, a word should be 
said about making tea. Draw the com- 
parison between that made with freshly 
boiled water and the harmful beverage 
it becomes when allowed to stand an 
hour or more. 



34 



Setting the Table 

ORDER FOR SETTING THE TABLE 

Tablecloth, right side up ; straight ; 
crease in the centre. Knives at the 
right side of each plate, blade inward ; 
forks at the left of each plate, tines 
upward ; napkins left side of forks ; 
butter dishes at the head of forks ; 
glasses at the head of knives. 

LESSON TALK 
How many have ever thought what 
an important part of our lives the eating 
is and how often we use the dishes ? 
Let us do some counting, and see how 
many meals we eat in just one week. 
There are seven days, and we eat three 
times each day. Try the multiplication 
table, and that will tell the answer. 
Twenty-one times a week the table is 
set. That is more often than we make 
the bed or sweep or dust. It is worth 
while, then, to learn to set the table in 
the right way. 

35 



The Child Housekeeper 

The dishes are here before us. Of 
course we know their names. No one 
need tell us that this is the teapot, or 
that that is a fork, but I wonder if 
everybody can tell just where to place 
each thing on the table ? 

Do you all know the game called 
"make believe"? Most children like 
to play it, so shall we try it for a while, 
now ? 

"Make believe" is something like 
the Magic Wand that one reads about 
in the fairy-tale books. It changes 
people and things in a wonderful way. 
To-day " make believe" changes us 
into a family. This little girl is the 
father, this one is the mother, and the 
rest of us are their children. This 
room is their home, and it is breakfast 
time. 

For breakfast we will have crackers 
and milk, but we will make believe that 
they are oatmeal and tea. 

36 



Setting the Table 

In the old nursery rhyme there were 
several ways to serve the porridge, for, 
you remember, — 

"Some like it hot, some like it cold, 
Some like it in the pot, nine days old." 

But surely there is only one way to 
serve breakfast, and that is to have it hot. 
Let us put some of the dishes in the 
oven to heat them. " Make believe " 
this large chair is a stove. Bring the 
teapot, plates, platter, and oatmeal 
dishes, and place them in the oven while 
we set the table. If it were a real stove, 
of course we should have to leave the 
oven door open, for the 
heat would crack the 
dishes. Now we are all 
ready to set the table. 
Two of us will unfold 
the tablecloth very 
carefully, as we wish 
it to be smooth. 
37 




The Child Housekeeper 

We must see that it is right side up, 
with the crease in the centre of the 
table. What is the difference between 
the right and the wrong side? We 
can tell by looking at the hem. Be 
very careful, for a smooth, white cloth 
and clean china make a table so neat 
and attractive that we shall all enjoy our 
breakfast. 

The table is to be set for four people, 
one on each of the four sides of the 
table. As we hold the knife in the right 
hand when we cut with it, put it on the 
right side of the plate, turning the blade 
inward. The proper place for the fork 
is on the other side of the plate, and the 
spoon at the top makes a square. What 
shall we do with these butter dishes ? 
Let us stand them at the head of the 
fork and put the napkins beside the forks. 
Now put the glasses where we can reach 
them easily. As we use the right hand 
more often than the left, that is the side 
38 




ea *a|L K 



Setting the Table 

to place the glasses, and at the head of 
the knives. The glasses should not be 
quite full, because we might spill some 
water on the tablecloth. Of course 
the mother always pours out the tea 
and the father serves the oatmeal, so 
we put the cups and saucers, the milk 
pitcher, spoons, and sugar bowl in 
front of the mother, and the oatmeal 
dish and large spoon before the father's 
place. 

We are ready now, so bring the hot 
dishes from the stove. Place the 
oatmeal in front of the father, and 
the four bowls between his knife and 
fork. 

The mother likes to have the teapot 
at the right side of her place so that she 
can pour from it easily. Have the spout 
pointing toward the centre of the table 
and the handle will be in the most con- 
venient place. 

4i • 



The Child Housekeeper 

TABLE RULES FOR LITTLE FOLKS 

In silence I must take my seat, 
And give God thanks before I eat ; 
Must for my food in patience wait 
Till I am asked to hand my plate. 
I must not scold, nor whine, nor pout, 
Nor move my chair or plate about; 
With knife or fork, or anything, 
I must not play, nor must I sing. 
I must not speak a useless word, 
For children should be seen, not heard ; 
I must not talk about my food, 
Nor fret if I don't think it good. 
I must not say " The bread is old — 
The tea is hot — the coffee 's cold " ; 
I must not cry for this or that, 
Nor murmur if my meat is fat. 
My mouth with food I must not crowd, 
Nor while I 'm eating, speak aloud ; 
Must turn my head to cough or sneeze, 
And when I ask, say, "If you please." 
The tablecloth I must not spoil, 
Nor with my food my fingers soil ; 
Must keep my seat, when I have done, 
Nor round the table sport or run. 
42 



Setting the Table 

When told to rise, then I must put 
My chair away with noiseless foot. 
And lift my heart to God above 
In praise for all his wondrous love. 

ANONYMOUS. 

STORIES 

"The Miraculous Pitcher," Nathaniel Haw- 
thorne. 

"A Thought," Robert Louis Stevenson. 

CLAY MODELLING 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

Moist clay can be bought in bricks, 
ready to use. 

Cover the table with oil-cloth or 
sheets of thick paper, and have several 
knitting-needles and knives to use as 
modelling tools. 

With a string cut the clay into cubes, 
and give one cube to each child. Let 
the children halve the cubes, and with 
one piece of clay reproduce the object 
on the table before them. A dish from 
43 



The Child Housekeeper 

the dinner-set is a good model, for one 
of the things to learn is the story of the 
making of china. 

When the children have made fairly 
good copies of the model, allow them 
to do as they wish with the rest of the 
clay. Strange-looking fruits, flowers, 
and birds' nests are sure to appear. 

The practical children will use the 
clay as though it were dough, and make 
it into pies or little cookies, using a 
thimble for a cutter. 

Offer the ambitious child a knitting- 
needle or a knife, if fancy induces her to 
mould something that requires tools 
other than her ten nimble fingers. 

As there is danger of contagion, do 
not use the clay a second time. The 
children are always eager to own their 
creations, so when the clay is dry enough 
to travel safely, let them take it home. 

While the children are modelling, tell 
the story of china making. 
44 



Setting the Table 

HOW CHINA IS MADE 
Hundreds of years ago men made 
dishes very much as we are making 
them here to-day. They dug the clay 
out of the earth, and while it was soft 
they moulded it with their hands into 
dishes, and placed it in the sun to dry. 
After a while it was found that dishes 
were much stronger if they were baked 
in the fire. 

Dishes are still made of baked clay, but 
they are made in large factories now, and 
are finer and prettier than those of the 
old, old days. A man who moulds dishes 
is called a potter. Let us be potters to- 
day and see how nearly we can copy 
this cup and saucer. Look at it care- 
fully, and then leave it on the table 
where all can see it. Obedient little 
fingers are the best tools. We will 
make the saucer round and try to have 
the edge smooth. Do not forget the 
little hollow place in the centre, where 
45 



The Child Housekeeper 

the cup stands. It is there, you know, to 
keep the cup from slipping and spilling 
the tea. We must make the cup round 
and deep. If the handle does not look 
just like the one we are copying, it can be 
changed while the clay is soft. When 
the cup and saucer are finished we may 
do as we like with the rest of the clay. 

The dishes that we use on the table 
are usually white, and we call them 
china. They are made of white clay, 
and as this clay was first found in the 
mountains of the Empire of China, it 
was given that name. 

Perhaps you wonder why the cup and 
saucer that you have just made do not 
look white and smooth like the model. 
Let me tell you what is done to the clay 
after the potter makes the mould. It is 
first baked, and then covered with a kind 
of glass varnish. Clay is porous, and 
without this smooth covering water 
would soak through. 
46 



WASHING DISHES 



Washing Dishes 



Alice R. Baldwin. 



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Next the silver, then the pitchers, 

And the cups and saucers fine ; 
Wash them well, and wash them quickly, 

These two things we must combine. 
Then we wash the other dishes, 

And to do them well, will try ; 
At the end we scald the dishcloths, 

Hang them on the line to dry. 



49 



Chapter III 



WASHING DISHES 



"Nothing useless is or low, 
Each thing in its place is best." 

ARTICLES NEEDED FOR THIS LESSON 

2 small dishpans. 
i piece of soap. 
2 dish towels. 
2 dishcloths. 
I serving tray. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

HE table should be already set 

when the children come 

for this lesson, in 

order that all the 

time may be given 

to clearing away the 

dishes and washing them. While in 

washing dishes there is but one rule to 

5i 




The Child Housekeeper 

follow, there are two methods of clear- 
ing the table, and the directions are 
given for both in order to meet the 
needs of " all sorts and conditions" of 
homes. The wise teacher will always 
show the little girls how to work with 
materials at hand, and not set the les- 
son in an unfamiliar frame-work. If 
the home kitchen has no sink/ the 
children can learn to wash the dishes 
on the same table where the meal was 
eaten; but of course for some classes 
it will be better to have the dishes 
washed at the sink. Tell the children 
something of the origin and preparation 
of soap. 

Explain to them why it is impor- 
tant to follow a strict order in washing 
dishes. 

This is the order : glasses, silver, 
pitchers, teapot, cups and saucers, plates, 
butter dishes, platters. 



52 



Washing Dishes 

LESSON TALK 

The table is already set, so we will 
make believe that the breakfast has just 
been eaten. What are some of the table 
manners that we have learned ? 

We have trained our knives and forks 
to become good, obedient servants. Our 
hands have learned the right way to lift 
the glasses, and we know very well why 
the cups have handles. 

We have also learned to fold our nap- 
kins at the end of the meal. This little 
verse is our rule : — 

" A child should always say what 's true 
And speak when he is spoken to, 
And behave mannerly at table ; 
At least, as far as he is able." 

Food will spoil if kept in a warm 
room, so what is left must be put where 
it is cool, — in the pantry, or in the ice- 
box. 

Very good care must be taken of the 
53 



The Child Housekeeper 

things that we eat. If food is not per- 
fectly fresh it should be thrown away, 
for it is poisonous. It not only makes 
people very ill, but often those who have 
eaten the poison that forms in meats and 
fish when they have been kept too long 
a time, die. All cereals and vegetables 
will become sour, after a while, and as 
food should never be wasted, it should 
be eaten very soon after it is cooked. 
Bread that is left until it is hard and dry 
may be eaten, and it can be made very 
good again by being left in a hot oven 
until it is crisp and brown. 

There are things on the table that we 
need not wash. The sugar bowl should 
be kept on the closet shelf when not 
in use. The napkins have been neatly 
folded and must also be put away. The 
next things to remove are the knives, 
forks, and spoons, and we collect them 
on a tray. It is quite important to scrape 
the plates before washing them, for the 
54 



Washing Dishes 

scraps of food would make the water 
very greasy. If we move all the dishes 
to one end and turn the cloth over half 
way, we can then place them on the 
bare table and remove the cloth entirely. 
Brush the crumbs from the cloth on to 
the tray and see that none fall on the 
floor. It is a good plan to sweep the 
floor under and around the table every 
day. Sweep lightly, so as not to raise 
the dust. Crumbs and bits of food often 
fall, and they make grease spots and look 
very bad if left on the floor. The 
crumbs must be brushed from the cloth 
and the cloth folded very carefully in the 
creases, so that it will be fresh and nice 
for the next meal. 

Let us see if the dishes are sorted. 
That is, the glasses should be together, 
the plates in a pile, the silver on a tray, 
the cups and saucers in a group. Our 
song will teach us the order for washing 
the dishes, so let us learn it. 
55 



The Child Housekeeper 

Song: " Washing Dishes." 

These two dishpans can be filled with 
hot water from the kettle. If we are 
wise housekeepers, the kettle will always 
be full of water and singing merrily. 

In one of the pans of hot water we 
will put soap, and keep the water in the 
other clear. 

Hot water alone does not take away 
the grease, but if we use soap the grease 
will run away quickly. Soap and grease 
do not like each other, and when one 
comes in the other goes out. 

To make soapsuds, put a piece of 
soap on a fork and move it around 
quickly in the pan until the water is al- 
most white. Then remove the soap, for 
it will dissolve if it is left in the water. 

Common yellow soap, such as we use 
for housework, is made of animal fats 
mixed with a certain kind of soda. 

Castile soap, which some of us use 
for bathing, is made of olive oil. 
56 



Washing Dishes 

The bulb of a certain plant that grows 
in California is sometimes used in the 
washtubs. When it is rubbed on the 
clothes, something like suds is formed, 
and it is said to be a good substitute for 
soap. The barks and fruits of some trees 
are also used in place of soap. 

Put the glasses carefully in the pan 
and rub them with a cloth; then rinse 
them in the clear water and let them 
drain for a moment on the tray. It 
takes some skill to dry glasses so that 
they are perfectly clear when held to 
the light, but with a little care we can 
polish them. We must remember to 
hold the glasses near the bottom and not 
put our ringers inside, for they will leave 
a mark, and we wish to have the glasses 
perfectly clean. The forks and spoons 
are the next in order, and perhaps some 
of us wonder why not the knives too. 
This is the reason. The knives have 
wooden or bone handles, that will crack 
59 



The Child Housekeeper 

and come off if soaked in water, so they 
must be washed separately, dipping only 
the blades in the water ; if the blades 
are black we must scour them with sand. 
It is surprising how bright we can make 
the forks and spoons by rubbing them 
with the cloth. What shall we wash 
next ? Surely the milk pitcher and tea- 
pot, with their companions the cups and 
saucers. Our little song teaches us the 
order. (Song.) The water seems greasy, 
so let us throw it out and make some 
fresh suds. We are not only learning 
how to wash dishes, but we are learning 
to wash them thoroughly. Dirty water 
cannot make the dishes clean. The 
plates are next in order; then the but- 
ter dishes, and last of all the oatmeal 
dish. 

The china looks bright and pretty 

after its bath, and we put it away on the 

closet shelf. When we wash dishes 

again, we shall need clean towels, so they 

60 



Washing Dishes 

must be washed and hung out on the 
line to dry. 

The bubbles in the soapsuds are full 
of lovely colors. There really are six 
of them, but they are so beautifully 
blended that it is hard to count them. 
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and 
violet are the colors that you see, and 
they are the colors of the rainbow. So 
each tiny bubble in the dishpan has a 
rainbow of its own. The rainbow ap- 
pears in the sky when there has been a 
shower and the sun comes out while the 
last little drops are hurrying down. It 
is the sun shining through the drops 
that makes the bow. The drops are 
round as they fall, like the bubbles in 
which we see the wonderful colors. 
A great many years ago the Indians 
used to tell their children a beautiful 
fairy story when the rainbow came in 
the sky. They would point to it and 
say : 

61 



The Child Housekeeper 

'Tis the Heaven of flowers you see there. 

All the wild flowers of the forest, 

All the lilies of the prairie, 

When on earth they fade and perish, 

Blossom in that Heaven above us." 



STORIES 

"A Chapter on Soap Bubbles," St. Nicholas 
Magazine, May, 1881, page 524. 

Oueer Stories : "What the Tea Kettle Said," 
Edward Eggleston. 

The Rainbow Pilgrimage, in " Child Life in 
Prose," Grace Greenwood. 



GAME FOR CHAPTER III 

The game suggested for this lesson 
is bubble-blowing. Provide a bowl of 
strong soapsuds, and a clay pipe for each 
child. A little glycerine added to the 
suds will make the bubbles more lasting. 
The dainty bubbles are enough in them- 
selves to delight and interest the chil- 
dren, but if more of a game is desired, 
cover a table with a dark woollen cloth. 
62 



Washing Dishes 

Place two lead-pencils in the tubes of 
large spools, and stand them on the table 
about a foot apart. Let the children in 
turn gently fan the bubbles the length 
of the table, the game being won by the 
child who is most successful in getting 
her bubbles between the pencils or goals. 
The rainbow tints in the bubbles sug- 
gest a few facts about refracted light, 
and the order of the primary colors, — 
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and 
violet. 

In reviewing the lesson, the hemming 
of small dishcloths may take the place 
of the bubble-blowing. 

Napkin-rings of colored bristol-board 
tied with ribbon are also easily made. 



^3 



BED MAKING 



Lullaby 



Slowly. 



Alice R. Baldwin. 





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Copyright, 1903, by Alice R. Baldwin. 

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Now, while you 're sweetly sleeping, 

And stars their watch are keeping, 

Comes Moon so bright, with silvery light, 

Through tree-tops softly peeping ; 

She smiles for Baby Bunting. 

Though all the world o'er hunting, 

No sight she '11 see like this nest in the tree, 

And my dear Baby Bunting. 

So hush thee, baby, bye. 



6 7 



Chapter IV 
BED MAKING 

*' My bed is waiting, cool and fresh, 
With linen smooth and fair." 

ARTICLES NEEDED FOR THIS LESSON 

1 bedstead, with mattress, sheets, blankets, spreads, 

pillows, and pillow-cases, 

2 chairs, 
i doll. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

AKE the bed before the 
lesson is given, for the 
children are to learn first 
^^5gW to prepare it for the 
night. Bed making is very practical 
work, but it affords an opportunity for 
story and song. There are many 
charming thoughts to give the chil- 
dren in connection with this lesson. 
69 




The Child Housekeeper 

Dreamland alone is an absorbing theme. 
The poems of Eugene Field and Rob- 
ert Louis Stevenson are rich in sug- 
gestion, and a teacher will do well to 
use some of them. 

Each child should be allowed to pre- 
pare the bed for the night, to air and 
to make it, at least once. As the work 
is thus repeated many times, the lesson 
will be well learned. 

Arranging the bed for the night, with 
the story, and the lullaby, is enough for 
one lesson, leaving the bed making for 
another day. 

Teach the children to see and to over- 
come wrinkles in the bedclothes, and 
be sure that the bed when made presents 
a flat, even surface. 

Put on the first sheet with the wide 
hem at the top, and right side up ; put 
on the second sheet with the wide hem 
at the top, but wrong side up, which 
brings the two right sides together. 
70 



Bed Making 

There is one direction to give about 
the pillows. The closed ends of the 
covers meet at the centre, leaving the 
open ends on the outer edge of the bed. 

Give as few rules as possible; rather 
make the lesson so interesting that the 
children will forget it is real work. 
Speak of the importance of airing the 
bed every day, and also of the necessity 
of having air in the room at night. 

The little girls are always pleased if 
there is a doll to put in the bed. 

Some valuable suggestions may be 
given about the importance of keeping 
a bed clean. Show how to take it apart 
every few months and wash it with 
ammonia and water, and also how to 
use powder if necessary. Explain that 
beds become infested because of neglect 
and dirt. 

LESSON TALK 

There are ever so many kinds of beds. 
There are beds out of doors as well as 

7 1 



The Child Housekeeper 

those in the house. Perhaps some of 
us wonder how that can be. 

Mother Nature, from whom we learn 
such good lessons, shows us some inter- 
esting things about the beds out of doors. 
Have you ever thought that flowers are 
used for beds ? 



i 



"There's never a leaf or blade too mean 
To be some happy creature's palace." 

There are many tiny insects that find 
safe and cosey places to sleep in among 

the petals of a rose 
or a lily. 

Did you know 
that Mother Na- 
ture teaches the 
animals to make 
their beds ? She 
tells the birds 
to choose soft 
things for their nests, and to have a 
warm place for their tiny eggs. She 




Bed Making 

shows the squirrels a hollow in some 
tree, and their bright eyes are quick 
to see that it is a safe bed for their 
babies. The woodchuck is taught to 
dig his cell under the ground, and the 
caterpillar learns to make a wonderful 
cradle. 

"If in field or tree 
There might only be 
Such a warm, soft sleeping place 
Found for me ! " 

Mother Nature is a busy person. 
Sometimes she has to be in fifty places 
at once. She has to teach school, clean 
house, and at the same time nurse the 
sick trees and flowers. She flits about 
from one place to another all day long. 
When the sun sets, she kisses the flowers 
good-night and sends the animals to bed. 

Then she must see if her army of 
sandmen have their bags and are ready 
to march away, for it is the children's 
73 



The Child Housekeeper 

bedtime. When the little children are 
all on the " Shut-eye Train," the good 
fairy blows a tiny whistle, and away they 
go, "Afar into the Land of Nod." 

We will "make believe" that it is 
night and put the doll to bed. First, 
we must take off the two pillows and 
place them on a chair. Then we turn 
the bedclothes over half-way, and put 
the pillows in place. The bed is now 
ready for the night. 

Let *us sing the lullaby softly, and 
when the doll is asleep lay her in the bed. 

Years ago a Frenchman wrote this 
verse about the words good-night : — 

GOOD-NIGHT 

Good-night, Good-night, 
Far flies the light, 
But still God's love 
Shall flame above, 
Making all bright, 
Good-night, Good-night. 

VICTOR HUGO. 

74 



Bed Making 

When we are playing in the happy 
land of dreams, do you know what a 
wonderful thing happens to the bodies 
that we leave at home in bed ? 

"The tired hands, the tired feet, so 
glad of night," have a fine rest, and 
while they rest they grow. Sleep helps 
to make us grow. It helps just as much 
as the food we eat, and we cannot live 
without sleep any more than we can 
live without food. 

Let us " make believe " tha't it is 
morning. 

"Every day is a fresh beginning, 
Every day is the world made new." 

Morning is a joyous, happy time. We 
wake up glad to be alive, for " the world 
is good, the world is sweet." 

Sometimes sad, tired people leave 
home at night on the "Shut-eye Train," 
but they come back in the morning 
rested and full of courage. 
75 



The Child Housekeeper 

Take off the bedclothes separately 
and place them on a chair by the open 
window. This is something that we 
must do every morning; leave the bed- 
ding to air while we are at breakfast. 

Now we must make up the bed for 
the day. It is well to let a bed air for 
at least half an hour each day, but we 
must never forget and leave the bed- 
clothes on the chair several hours. If 
we turn over the mattress we shall 
find that the other side is level. Tuck 
the clothes in carefully at the corners 
and the bed will be square, and draw the 
clothes tightly at the sides to make it 
smooth. Put on the first sheet with 
the wide hem at the top, and right side 
up. The second sheet should be put on 
with the wide hem at the top, but wrong 
side up. Put the blankets on next, and 
then the white quilt. Place the pillows 
as they were before we opened the bed 
for the night. 

76 



Bed Making 

FEATHER FAIRIES 

What a pleasant thing it is to lie 
quietly in bed in the dark after a long 
day of work and play ! Belinda was 
thinking things over in this fashion one 
night last autumn. She had begun the 
day by hurrying her work of bed mak- 
ing for the sake of a ride on the lumber 
wagon. She was sorry about the hurry, 
and really the hasty way in which she 
had tucked up the baby's crib and her 
own small bed was shocking. But the 
ride had been delightful and the fresh 
air had made her sleepy and tired. 

The moon came up behind the pine 
woods just where she could see it, and 
everything was very still, when she be- 
gan to think that her pillow was not 
quite so comfortable as usual. "I did 
not shake and air it very well this morn- 
ing," sighed Belinda; and then she sat 
up in amazement, for a perfect tumult 
79 



The Child Housekeeper 

had arisen under her head. Such an 
indignant buzzing and squeaky chatter- 
ing she had never heard before. " Don't 
you know we like our morning shake ?" 
" How can we get along without fresh 
air ? How naughty you were to forget 
us!" and many more things she heard 
the tiny voices say. 

Belinda felt guilty, but she could not 
resist taking a tiny pair of scissors from 
her work-bag that hung on the bedpost 
and cutting a hole in her pillow. Im- 
mediately the room seemed full of 
feathers, and more poured out of the 
hole, pushing each other in an impatient 
way that made her laugh. And now 
she saw that the white fluttering things 
were not feathers, but lovely white 
butterflies. It was charming to watch 
them floating back and forth across the 
bars of moonlight. Hundreds of them 
soon came and lighted on her hair, and 
on her nightdress. In fact, all seemed 
80 



Bed Making 

to be flying toward her. For a while 
she was puzzled, and interested to know 
what they would do, but she soon felt 
herself floating off. The butterflies 
were carrying her away. They took 
her through the doorway and into the 
room where the baby slept. They left 
her standing by the crib, and then flew 
out of the open window like a puff of 
white smoke. 

A slight frown puckered the baby's 
forehead, and Belinda saw that the cold 
night air was blowing on his little bare 
feet. As she stooped to make things 
right, she woke up to find herself trying 
in a forlorn way to cover up her own 
cold toes. 

Belinda was opening her window next 
morning to let in the frosty breezes, 
when she remembered her dream. She 
laughed and said, "Thepillows shall have 
a good shake this morning. " 

Suitable poems for this chapter: — 
6 81 



The Child Housekeeper 

"The Land of Nod." \ 

"My Bed is a Boat." (Robert Louis 

"The Sun's Travels." | Stevenson. 

" The Land of Counterpane." J 

"Lady Button Eyes." ~\ 

"The Rock-a-bye Lady." ( 

"The Sugar-plum Tree." j Eu § ene Field - 

"The Shut-eye Train." J 

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." 

" Good-night and Good-morning," Richard Monck- 

ton Milnes. 
"How the Leaves Come Down," Susan Coolidge. 
"The Time to Go," Susan Coolidge. 



82 



SWEEPING AND DUSTING 



Sweep and Dust 



Alice R. Baldwin. 




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Brush the cobwebs from the wall, 
Brush with care the corners small ; 
Sweep with steady strokes and strong, 
Singing, as you work, this song. Cho. 

3- 

Fairies of the dust, beware, 
We are searching everywhere, 
We shall find you though you hide, 
And will drive you all outside. Cho. 



85 



Chapter V 
SWEEPING AND DUSTING 

tf A servant with this clause 
Makes drudgery divine : 
Who sweeps a room as for thy laws 
Makes that and th' action fine." 

ARTICLES NEEDED FOR THIS LESSON 

12 small brooms. I brush. 

newspapers. 



12 dusters. 
I dustpan. 




sweeping sheets. 
GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

HE children should, if 
possible, sweep and dust 
a bedroom, but if the 
class-room is not too 

. large the lesson 

can be given there. 
The children must be 
87 



The Child Housekeeper 

taught how to manage when there is 
a bed, a washstand, and so on — even 
when such things cannot be used at the 
lesson. The usual rules for sweeping 
a room are these : — 

i . Cover the bed and large pieces of 
furniture with sheets or news- 
paper; dust the smaller articles 
and move them out of the room. 

2. Open the windows, unless the wind 

blows very hard. 

3. Sweep with steady, strong strokes, 

and always toward the centre 
of the room. 

4. Be particular to sweep the cor- 

ners and under the bed with a 

whisk broom. Cover the broom 

with a cloth and wipe down the 

walls. 

A simple way to lay the dust is to 

scatter bits of wet newspaper on the 

floor. Gather the dust in a dustpan. 

When the dust settles, dust the furni- 



Sweeping and Dusting 

ture; move it back in place, draw the 
shades even, and make the room orderly. 

There is a good chance in this lesson 
to talk about the care of brooms. They 
should be hung when not in use. If 
allowed to stand, they lose their shape. 
To keep them from growing brittle, wet 
them from time to time. 

For occupation, make small dusters 
of cheese-cloth stitched around with 
bright worsted. 

Try the experiment of planting in a 
flower-pot or window-box a few seeds 
of the broom corn. You will find 
plenty in the children's brooms. 

LESSON TALK 

In our last lesson we heard about the 
good little fairies that came to Belinda 
one night and taught her a lesson in 
housekeeping. 

Almost all fairies are good, but there 
is one kind that is naughty, and I am 
89 



The Child Housekeeper 

going to warn you against these tiny 
mischief-makers. 

They are called dust-fairies. They 
come to a house without any invitation, 
and they stay just as long as they can. 
If the housekeeper is careless, these 
fairies do great harm. They soil the 
books, they scratch the furniture, they 
leave black marks on the paint, and they 
cover the bright colors in the carpet. 

Perhaps at first only a few dust-fairies 
will fly in the window, but if they find 
it is a good place, they will call in their 
friends, and after a while there will be a 
whole army of them in the house. Then 
it will take a long time to get rid of 
them, so it is better to drive them out 
every day. 

Instead of using a feather duster, which 
only scatters the dust, we will use a soft 
cloth. 

There are two rules for us to re- 
member when we dust. Work from 
90 



Sweeping and Dusting 

the top down, or the dust from above 
will fall on what has already been dusted 
below, and shake the cloth often out 
of the window. In that way we will 
get rid of the troublesome fairies. 

A good housekeeper is always careful 
to have her bedroom clean and orderly. 
It does not take long to put the room 
in order ; fifteen minutes before we start 
for school will give us time to make 
the bed, to dust, and to put shoes and 
clothing away. We should dust every 
day, but a room need be swept only once 
a week. 

To sweep a room takes time, so we 
will call Saturday sweeping day, for 
there is no school bell to hurry us. 
Pehaps some of you have heard this 
quaint old rhyme : — 

" There was an old woman tossed up in a 
blanket 
Seventeen times as high as the moon ; 
Where she was going I could not but ask it, 
9 1 



The Child Housekeeper 

For in her hand she carried a broom. 
c O!d woman, old woman, old woman,' 

quoth I, 
c Oh whither, oh whither, oh whither, so 

high?' 
c To sweep the cobwebs from the sky; 
But I'll be with you by and by.'" 



She must have sharp eyes to see the 
cobwebs in the sky, and we must be 



equally sharp 
dust and cob 
houses. 

Our caps 
dust from get- 
hair, and, as 
are on, we 
work. It is a 
tie a cloth on 
you have no 

Dust care- 
a n d little 
them on the 
cover them 




to detect the 
webs in our 

will keep the 
ting into our 
our aprons 
are ready for 
good plan to 
your head, if 
cap. 

fully the books 
things, and put 
bed. We must 
with a sheet 



Sweeping and Dusting 

or with newspapers. Next we will 
dust the chairs and put them in the 
hall. Then move the washstand and 
table in order to sweep under them. 

The window should be opened, unless 
the day is very windy. Use the little 
brush for the corners and under the bed, 
for we must be sure to find all the dust- 
fairies that are hiding there. With our 
brooms held firmly in both hands, let 
us sweep toward the centre of the room. 

When a carpet is swept the air be- 
comes filled with dust, so bits of wet 
newspaper must be scattered on the floor 
to lay it. 

Now sweep the dust into a pile and 
collect it in the dustpans. 

Let us rest for a while and hear a 
story about a broom. 

Brooms are made from a plant called 
broom corn. 

Broom corn bears no ear like the 
corn we eat. It grows to be very tall, 
93 



The Child Housekeeper 

and at the top of the stalk is a brush or 
tassel, which is cut off, and made into 
brooms. 

BELINDA'S BROOM 

Belinda had left her little broom 
under the lilac bush, and now, as she 
looked out of the window and saw the 
rain, she saw several brooms and ever so 
many lilac bushes, because she looked 
through tears. " It will be spoiled for- 
ever, just as my birthday-book was," she 
said ; and then she remembered what fun 
it was to have a little broom and how 
she would miss it. Suddenly it occurred 
to her that she had heard that brooms 
were made from a plant. If that were so 
the rain would not hurt it at all. Her 
birthday-book was blurred and blistered 
when she carried it into the house after 
it had spent the night on the wet grass, 
but this trial she now felt would turn 
out quite differently. Belinda ran to 
94 



Sweeping and Dusting 

the kitchen, where her mother was busy- 
covering glasses of jelly. " Mother," 
she said, " please tell me all you know 
about brooms." And as she sat cutting 
neat little paper labels to be pasted on 
the glasses, her mother told her a story. 

Mothers are very apt to begin their 
stories in the old way, so, when she had 
cautioned Belinda to cut the labels care- 
fully and not to waste the paper, she 
said : — 

" Once upon a time there was a very 
charming lady living in Philadelphia. 
She had a great many friends, and among 
them was a sea-captain, who often 
brought her interesting presents from 
the foreign lands to which he sailed his 
vessel. Once, when he came home after 
a trip to England, he brought her a 
pretty little brush that pleased her very 
much. She had never seen one like it 
before, and one day, when Benjamin 
Franklin was calling upon her, she 
7 97 



The Child Housekeeper 

showed it to him. He looked at the 
brush very thoughtfully and found that 
it was made from some kind of a plant. 
He knew it would be a good plant to 
raise if brooms could be made from it, 
so, as he saw a very dry little seed cling- 
ing to one of the whisks, he asked if he 
might take it away with him. This 
seed he planted, and ever since broom 
corn has grown plentifully and well in 
America. 

Belinda carried her bits of paper to 
the sitting-room to write upon them. 
She wrote "broom corn" on the first 
one, instead of the words "gooseberry 
jelly," but that was because her mind 
was so relieved about her broom. 

We must dust our room now. 

Remembering the rule to begin at 
the top, let us first wipe down the walls. 
The bristles of the broom will not clean 
a smooth, hard surface, so we shall have 
to pin a cloth over the broom. If there 
98 



Sweeping and Dusting 

is a cobweb in the corner we must 
brush it away, although it does seem a 
pity to destroy the patient little spider's 
work. 

After dusting the bedstead and wash- 
stand, move back the chairs and put the 
room in order. 

Before ending our lesson let us hear 
the story of Arachne and Minerva. 

Long, long ago, in a time that was 
called the Golden Age, fairy folks shared 
the earth with real people. They were 
not called fairies, however, but gods and 
goddesses. 

On a mountain, so high that its sum- 
mit was hidden by the clouds, lived 
these wonderful creatures. There was 
always sunshine on this mountain, be- 
cause the clouds that hide the sun and 
bring the storms were far below. 

One of the most interesting of the 

goddesses was Minerva, — Goddess of 

Wisdom and of War. She wore on 

99 
LofC. 



The Child Housekeeper 

her head a crown made of an olive 
branch, surmounted by a little owl. 
The owl, of course, stood for wisdom, 
and the olive branch for peace, because 
the goddess believed in war only that 
peace might follow. Minerva was won- 
derfully skilful with her needle ; indeed, 
she invented the art of spinning. 

There was only one other person who 
could weave and embroider as well as 
Minerva, — a little maid whose name 
was Arachne. Arachne was not a god- 
dess, but just a real child. She made 
such pretty pictures with her needle that 
the goddesses would sometimes leave 
their groves and fountains to watch her 
at her work. In fact, she was so clever 
that people said, " Minerva must have 
taught her." 

Arachne did not like to think that 
any one, even a goddess, could do more 
beautiful work than she. ' Let Min- 
erva try her skill with mine," said Ar- 



ioo 



Sweeping and Dusting 

achne. As she spoke, a queer little old 
woman appeared and said : " I advise 
you to beg Minerva's pardon for what 
you have said. You forgot, no doubt, 
that you were challenging a goddess." 

But Arachne tossed her head, and re- 
plied that she was not afraid. The old 
woman suddenly dropped her cloak, and 
there stood Minerva. They agreed to 
prove which really did excel, and set to 
work in earnest. The goddess wrought 
into her work exquisite designs, but 
Arachne's work was even finer, and 
Minerva was made very envious. In a 
rage she struck poor Arachne on the 
head. This insult Arachne could not 
endure, so she hung herself from a 
beam. 

Minerva pitied her, and waving her 
wand, changed her into a spider, that 
she might spin, and weave, and hang 
forever. 

Before we brush away the spider- 

IOI 



The Child Housekeeper 

webs on sweeping day, let us look at 
them, for Arachne (her name means 
spider) is still weaving and doing beau- 
tiful work. 

STORIES 

" Madame Arachne," Celia Thaxter. 
" The Spider and the Fly," Mary Howitt. 
" The Spider and his Wife," Jane Taylor. 
" Maggie Darnley's Experiment," St. Nicholas, 
July, 1883. 







BROOM 


DRILL 






ARTICLES 


NEEDED 


12 


caps. 




12 toy brooms. 


12 


aprons. 


12 small dusters, 



GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

Have the children march into the 
room, and each take a broom from a 
stack arranged in a convenient place on 
the line of march. Let them carry the 
brooms as muskets in the right hand, 
and take their places on the floor as 
they would in a gymnasium. Have the 
102 



Sweeping and Dusting 

dusters in the pockets or tucked in the 
belts. The teacher should stand facing 
the children, at a little distance, and 
demonstrate the motions as she gives 
the following directions. 



LESSON TALK 

We shall make all the motions of 
sweeping and dusting in time with the 
music. If we count carefully, move 
together, and think of what we are do- 
ing, it will seem more real. While the 
first chords are being played, put your 
left hand on the brush end of the 
broom and bring it down so that it is 
across the body and held by both 
hands. Then lift the broom with the 
right hand and point with it at arm's 
length to the upper right-hand corner 
of the room. Now you are ready to 
begin to brush the cobwebs out of the 
corners. 

103 



Broom Drill 

Alice R. Baldwin. 



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108 



Sweeping and Dusting 

Cobwebs. — First, twist your brooms 
around and around four times with the 
right hand, then change, and do it with 
the left hand four times. 

Walls. — Next, you must brush down 
the walls. Hold the broom with both 
hands, and raise it. Lower and raise 
eight times, as though you were brush- 
ing the dust lightly from the wall di- 
rectly in front of you. 

Corners. — Now make the motion 
for brushing the dust from the corners 
of the floor. To do this, make four 
strokes forward and to the right, as 
though there were a corner there ; and 
then do the same towards the left, four 
times also. 

Floor. — Finally sweep the floor. 
Hold your broom as you would for real 
sweeping, and take four steps forward, 
sweeping as you go, and four steps back 
again. Then repeat with the broom 
on the other side of your body. Now 
109 



The Child Housekeeper 

sweep with short strokes, as though 
collecting the dust in a pile at your 
feet. 

Then we illustrate dusting. Hold 
the broom in the left hand and take the 
duster out of your apron pocket with 
the right hand. Stand on tip-toe and 
" make believe" that you are dusting a 
high shelf or a moulding, passing the 
duster back and forth four times. Im- 
agine for a moment that a table is before 
you and dust the top of it around and 
around. Draw the duster up and down 
as though dusting the legs of a table, 
twice to the right and twice to the left. 
Stoop a little, as you would have to do 
if the table were really there. Stand 
up, for the dusting is done, and take 
four steps forward and four steps back- 
ward, waving your duster above your 
head. 



no 



CLEANING 



Cleaning Song 



Alice R. Baldwin. 



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Copyright, 1903, by Alice R. Baldwin. 
112 



The Wind she uses as a broom, 
He sweeps the earth with care ; 

Then Rain upsets his pails, — the clouds, 
And cleans things everywhere. 

3- 
Then gentle Sunshine does her part, 

She makes things fresh and bright; 
And Mother Nature thanks them all ; 

They 've done the work just right. 



"3 



Scrubbing Song 



Alice R. Baldwin. 



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Copyright, 1903, by Alice R. Baldwin. 
114 




2. 

When all is as white as the snow, the snow, 

From garret to cellar below, below, 

When rubbing and scrubbing, and scrubbing and rubbing 

Are finished, to play we will go, will go. 



115 



Chapter VI 
CLEANING 



" What we make children love and desire is more im- 
portant than what we make them learn. " 

ARTICLES NEEDED FOR THIS LESSON 



3 cleaning cloths. 
3 scrubbing brushes. 



3 pails. 
Soap. 



GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

RAW the children's 
attention to Mother 
Nature's method of 
cleaning house. 
They are always 
interested to hear 
about the Model 
Housekeeper. 

This lesson is perhaps difficult to 
teach in a class-room, but it is so im- 
117 




The Child Housekeeper 

portant that it cannot well be omitted 
from the course. In some classes, if 
it is impossible to have the children 
actually scrub a section of the floor or 
wash a window, use the lesson merely 
as a lecture. 

The subject offers an opportunity for 
a talk about personal cleanliness. 

To wash windows : Use hot water 
and soap. Dry thoroughly, and polish 
with crumpled newspaper. 

To wash paint : Hot water and soap. 

To scrub: Follow the grain of the 
wood. 

LESSON TALK 

Mother Nature is to be our teacher 
again to-day. In many ways she is a 
model housekeeper, and is, consequently, 
well-fitted to teach. Perhaps we think 
of her as being always busy. It is true 
that she has a great deal to do, but she 
does not work all the year. She has 
118 



CI 



eanin: 



a long vacation from November until 
March, and she spends those months 
asleep. 

So far, not a word has been said about 
Mother Nature's children, and she has 
quite a family, — two sons and two 
daughters. Let me tell you their 
names. She calls her sons Wind and 
Rain, and her daughters are called Sun- 
shine and Snow. 

These children are very helpful, and 
Mother Nature could not accomplish 
her work without them. 

In the spring of the year, when she 
wakes from her long sleep, the first 
thing she does is to clean house. The 
earth is a big house to care for, is it 
not ? Let us see what Mother Nature 
does. She sends out her son, Wind, to 
sweep the earth. He rushes through 
the streets and sweeps the sidewalks 
and gutters clean. He blows away the 
dust from the roofs of the buildings and 
119 



The Child Housekeeper 

whisks into corners to clear them of 
dirt. He loves to work, and very often 
sings as he races up and down, — 

" Now for a frolic, now for a leap, 
Now for a madcap, galloping chase ; 
I '11 make a commotion in every place." 

Wind is a very powerful fellow, and 
is apt to be rough in his frolic. Some- 
times Mother Nature has to call to him 
to be more gentle, for in his pranks he 
may break some of the branches of the 
trees, and that will mean more work 
for her. You know she nurses all the 
sick trees and plants. 

When Wind has finished the sweep- 
ing, Rain begins to work. He uses a 
great many pails of water, but there are 
alway enough, for the clouds are his 
pails. He upsets them, and the water 
pours down. He cleans the floor of 
the earth, so that Mother Nature can 
lay down a new grass carpet. 

120 



CI 



eanim 



He washes the outside of the houses, 
barns, and other buildings ; then he 
gives a bath to the trees and plants that 
are getting ready to put on their spring 
clothes. 

In the meantime, Sunshine, who is a 
quiet, gentle child, has been trying to 
work too. Often when she was ready 
to smile her brothers would scowl or 
frown and frighten her away. At last 
her turn comes. She polishes all the 
dull, dark spots in the earth. She 
warms the air so that the plants and 
trees are not afraid to wear their new 
clothes, and she helps her mother lay 
the new carpet. 

Snow is the only child that does not 
help in the spring house-cleaning, but 
she is useful in her own way. When 
things get dingy and dirty during 
Mother Nature's vacation, Snow unfolds 
her large sheets and spreads them over 
the earth, making everything white. 
123 



The Child Housekeeper 

This story has given us just the di- 
rections that we need in order to clean 
a room. 

It is well to choose a sunny day for 
house-cleaning, because Sunshine is as 
great a help to us as she is to her 
mother. 

Let us sweep away the dust on the 
floor and then scrub the boards very 
clean. We need a pail of hot water, 
some soap, and a scrubbing brush. 

It is interesting to remember that 
these boards in the floor were once 
parts of trees. The little marks and 
lines you see all run one way. These 
are the veins or channels through which 
the sap ran when the board was alive. 
The dust and dirt settle in these cracks, 
as well as in the larger spaces between 
the boards. In order to get it all out, 
we must scrub the length of the board, 
not across it. The bristles of our 
scrubbing brush will go into these little 
124 



Cleaning 

cracks and so free them from all dirt. 
The floor will dry quickly if Sunshine 
is in the room. 

Soap and water do not injure paint 
at all, so we may wash all the painted 
wood-work in a room ; that is, the 
doors and window-frames. We cannot 
clean furniture in the same way, for, as 
a rule, furniture is varnished, not 
painted, and water destroys the polish 
of the varnish. 

What little marks are these on the 
door? They are just the shape of fin- 
ger-tips, but they are too large for the 
fairies. Some thoughtless person, in- 
stead of using the knob to close the 
door, has put her hands on the door it- 
self and left those ugly marks. Let us 
wash them all away, and give the knob 
a bath too. 

We will use this soft cloth to wash 
the window, and plenty of water and 
soap. Then we must dry the pane 
125 



The Child Housekeeper 

carefully, and polish it with crumpled 
newspaper. Windows are the eyes of 
a house, and we should be very careful 
that they do not become blind through 
our carelessness. 

Sunshine is often kept out of a room 
because of dirty windows. She comes 
to a house ready to dance and play with 
the people inside. If the windows 
frown at her, she runs away, but when 
the windows smile, she goes in so gladly 
and makes a long visit, for she knows 
that the people in the house love her. 
Shall our house give Sunshine a wel- 
come when she comes again ? 

Now see the little window bright ; 
It fills the room with cheerful light; 

It shines all the day 

And makes us gay ; 
Be like the light, so pure and bright. 

FROEBEL. 

The sunbeams that find their way 
in at the windows come about ninety 
126 



Cleaning 

millions of miles. It is easier to im- 
agine such a long journey, when we 
know that it would take nearly two 
hundred years, travelling night and day 
on an express train, to reach the sun. 

STORIES 

"Sunshine" Lulu's Library, Vol. II., Louisa 
M. Alcott. 

" And the Sun Smiled," St. Nicholas Magazine, 
July, 1877, page 588. 

cc A Happy Thought," St. Nicholas Magazine, 
November, 1882, page 29. 

" The Wind," Robert Louis Stevenson. 

" Summer Sun," Robert Louis Stevenson. 

" Sunbeams, and the Work they do," Arabella 
Buckley. 

U A Drop of Water on its Travels," Arabella 
Buckley. 



127 



LAUNDRY WORK 



Song of the Tubs 



Alice R. Baldwin. 




Copyright, 1903, by Alice R. Baldwin. 
130 



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Hung in the air and in the bright light, 
Fresh air and sunshine make the clothes white. 
Monday you '11 hear this song of the tub ; 
To us it 's music, rub-a-dub. Cho. 



132 



Chapter VII 
LAUNDRY WORK 

This is the way we wash our clothes. " 

HI HE following lessons 
are not designed to pre- 
pare the children actually 
to do washing ; that task 
is of course beyond their 
strength. The mission of 
this chapter is to make them intelligent 
and helpful in the matter, both now 
and in the years to come. The work 
of washing and ironing is complicated, 
and there is so much that one must 
know in order to do even the simplest 
article acceptably, that the chapter has 
been divided into four parts, which in 
turn may be subdivided at the teach- 
es 




The Child Housekeeper 

er's discretion. These lessons are most 
conveniently given in a kitchen, or in a 
room where there is a cooking-stove. 

Lesson First — Preparatory 

ARTICLES NEEDED FOR THIS LESSON 

A small piece of starch. 

A piece of bluing. 

Two pieces of white cotton cloth. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

Begin the lesson with a talk about the 
origin, preparation, and use of bluing 
and starch, and review what was said 
about soap in a previous chapter. 

Pour boiling water on the starch after 
dissolving it in a very little cool water. 
Try the effect of it upon a piece of cot- 
ton cloth. The use of starch should 
not be encouraged, as it takes time and 
skill and is rarely necessary. 

Pour cool water on the bluing and 
show the effect upon a piece of white 
J 34 



Laundry Work 

cotton goods. Explain that bluing is 
used to counteract the tendency of white 
cotton and linen to turn vellow. The 
clothes should be white, and not blue, 
after it is used. 

As the lesson is short, have the chil- 
dren make iron-holders to be used later. 
An old stocking folded square and cov- 
ered with ticking makes a good holder. 
Teach the words of the washing song 
as the children sew. Ask those who 
own jumping-ropes to bring them to the 
next lesson to use as clothes-lines. 

LESSON TALK 

Before we begin to wash clothes let 
us hear what things will help us in our 
work. There are three things that we 
shall find very helpful, — soap, starch, and 
bluing. 

Soap is an enemy to grease and dirt. 
You will remember that when we 
washed dishes soap and grease dis- 
135 



The Child Housekeeper 

agreed, and in the cleaning lesson dirt 
ran away when we used soap. So, in 
order to wash soiled clothes we need to 
use plenty of soap. 

The next thing is starch. Although 
we need not use much starch in our 
work of washing and ironing, it is neces- 
sary to eat a great deal of it in order to 
be well. Do you know that it forms a 
large part of our food ? It is in all vege- 
tables, in oatmeal, and in rice. The 
starch is taken out of these vegetables 
and grains and prepared for its less im- 
portant use of stiffening linen. It looks 
like white powder, but if we magnify it 
we shall see that it is made of little oval 
grains. When boiling water is poured 
over the grains they burst and swell. 
That is the reason that rice and beans 
are so much larger after they are cooked. 

Now let us learn about bluing, which 
is really indigo. Most of the blue things 
that we wear are dyed in indigo, and we 
136 



Laundry Work 

use a tiny bit of it when we wash clothes, 
just to make the clothes white. We 
must never use so much that the things 
look blue. 

Indigo is made from the leaves of a 
certain plant that grows in warm cli- 
mates. The leaves are soaked in water 
for a long time and they turn the water 
blue. When a thick paste settles at the 
bottom of the vat the water is poured 
off. That blue paste is dried in the sun 
and is called indigo. 

Indigo was first grown in this country 
in 1739, by a young girl named Eliza 
Lucas, who lived on a large plantation 
in South Carolina. Eliza knew that 
indigo was very useful, and wondered 
why the plant was not raised in this 
country. She was told that it would 
not grow in this climate. At that time 
all the indigo that people used was 
brought from a foreign land. 

This young girl was determined to try 
i37 



The Child Housekeeper 

the experiment of raising the indigo 
plant and she sowed some seeds. After 
several attempts she was successful, and 
in time the growing of indigo became 
one of the great industries of that part 
of our country. 

Lesson Second — Washing 

articles needed for this lesson 

2 bowls or deep tins to be called tubs. 
2 pieces of soap. 
i boiler, or a good substitute. 
24 clothes-pins. 
. A piece of bluing tied in a cloth. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

Select several small, white cotton ar- 
ticles to wash, — any small pieces that 
do not require starch. It is best to have 
the children wash only bed linen or 
table linen, for they must not be allowed 
to think that everything may be put in 
the tubs together. Have the tubs two- 
138 



Laundry Work 

thirds full of warm (not hot) water, and 
after soaping the articles leave them to 
soak for a few minutes. Then rub the 
clothes in the hands or on a board. Put 
the boiler on the stove half full of cool 
water. Take the clothes from the tub 
and put them in the boiler. 

Let the water come to a boil, but ex- 
plain that long boiling makes cotton and 
linen tender. When the things are 
taken from the boiler rinse them in the 
cool water in which the bluing has 
been stirred. Wring the clothes in the 
hands, shake them, and hang them up 
to dry. The jumping-ropes tied to the 
backs of chairs near a sunny window, or 
the stove, make good clothes-lines. 

When the clothes are perfectly dry 
fold them, and put them away to be 
ironed at the next lesson. 

Speak of the importance of leav- 
ing the boiler absolutely dry. Tell 
of the ugly stains made by rust, and of 
141 



The Child Housekeeper 

the harm that dampness will do to the 
boiler. 



LESSON TALK 

In order to have the members of her 
family really comfortable, a housekeeper 
has to wash and iron every week. She 
must see that the sheets on the beds are 
clean, that there are fresh tablecloths 
and that all have clean clothes to wear. 

Perhaps we are hardly strong enough 
to wash the sheets and tablecloths, but 
we can help our mothers very much if 
we learn how to wash the smaller arti- 
cles. For instance, we can wash the 
table napkins, the stockings, and hand- 
kerchiefs, and even some of the under- 
clothes. 

Let us see if we can find some fun in 
what many people call dull work. Shall 
we learn the song, and then we can sing 
as we work ? 

Song: " Song of the Tubs." 
142 



Laundry Work 

The first thing for us to do is to sort 
the clothes. This is quite important, 
for we must never put table linen and 
bed linen into the tubs together. The 
woollen articles we will save until an- 
other lesson. Let us take the table linen 
and make it clean and white. 

Fill the tubs with warm water, — not 
hot, for hot water sets the stains. Then 
we must soap the 
things well, and leave 
them in the tubs to 
soak while we put 
up our lines. If we 
tie these jumping- 
ropes between two 
chairs, we can use 
them for clothes-lines. 
We will put the boiler 
on the stove half full 
of cool water, and go back to our tubs 
to rub " All the stains away." 

The next thing to do is to put the 
H3 




The Child Housekeeper 

clothes in the boiler and leave them 
there until the water steams or is very 
hot. We must not allow the water to 
boil long, for that wears out the clothes. 

While we are waiting, let us fill the 
tubs with fresh water and put in the 
bluing, tied in a little piece of muslin. 
We learned in the last lesson how to 
color the water just enough, so we shall 
make no mistake to-day. 

The water in these tubs has just ar- 
rived after a long journey. Perhaps it 
was a part of the great ocean. The sun 
drank the water up into the clouds and 
the clouds sent it down in raindrops 
upon the earth. It may have fallen 
upon a high mountain. Then it ran 
down hill and j oined a little stream which 
carried it into the reservoir. When we 
throw it away it will start on another 
journey, made clean and pure again by 
the sun, when it takes it up into the 
clouds. 

144 



Laundry Work 

Now let us take the clothes from the 
boiler and put them in the blue water 
for a moment; then we must wring 
them and hang them on the line to dry. 
We must be careful to dry the boiler 
thoroughly or it will rust, and stain the 
clothes when we use it again. 

Lesson Third — Ironing 

articles needed for this lesson 

4 irons (full size). 

The holders made by the class. 

Ironing blanket and sheet. 

A paper of pins. 

A cake of beeswax. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

While the irons are heating teach the 
children how to pin the ironing blanket 
and sheet on the table. Bring out the 
articles washed at the last lesson and 
show how to sprinkle them lightly with 
clean cold water. 

145 



The Child Housekeeper 

Tell the children something about 
iron ; where it is found, and so on. 

If there is still time, talk about bees 
and their work. Show a flower, and 
have the children look carefully for the 
pollen atoms, and the tiny place where 
the bees find the honey. 

When the irons are hot, let each child 
iron one article and fold it carefully. 

Tell the children to bring small 
woollen articles to the next lesson. 

LESSON TALK 

We cannot work until our irons are 
hot. While they are on the stove we 
will pin this blanket across the table and 
put the sheet over it, drawing it tight 
and smooth. Here are the things that 
we washed last week ; but they are too 
stiff and dry to iron, so we must sprinkle 
them with clean water, — just enough 
to make them damp. 

The irons that we are to use to-day 
146 



Laundry Work 

have taken a long journey to get here. 
The name tells us from what they are 
made, but do we all know where iron 
is found ? 

It is found in rocks that are deep 
down in the earth, and men sometimes 
rind it in the side of mountains. It is 
dug out of the rocks with long, pointed 
tools. The men who dig for iron, coal, 
silver, and gold are called miners, and the 
place where they work is 
called a mine. It is 
usually far under 
the ground, and the 
miner reaches it 
through an open- 
ing in the earth 
called a shaft. He 
is lowered in a large 
basket or cage, and has a small lamp 
fastened to the front of his cap to give 
him light, for it is perfectly dark in a 
mine. There the man works day after 
H7 




The Child Housekeeper 

day, without seeing the sunshine, the 
sky, or any of the beautiful things that 
God has made. A miner's life is very 
useful, though. If it were not for the 
men who dig the iron, coal, silver, and 
gold, we should have to do without 
many necessary things. 

Let us see if the irons are hot. Before 
using them we must test them on a 
folded newspaper. If the irons are too 
hot they will leave brown marks on the 
paper, and if they are dirty they will 
leave black marks. To clean the irons 
and make them run smoothly, we will 
use this piece of beeswax. If we have 
no wax, we may use the end of a candle 
instead. 

It is easy to guess where beeswax 
comes from, for the name tells us 
that. 

Bees are busy little creatures, and 
they work hard too, as this verse tells 
us : — 

148 



Laundry Work 

"How doth the little busy bee 
Improve each shining hour, 
And gather honey all the day 
From every opening flower." 

After the bee has eaten all the honey it 
wishes from the flowers, it gathers some 
to take home to the hive. This honey 
is carried in a tiny bag inside of the 
bee's body and is emptied into the cell 
when the little creature reaches the hive. 
They gather something more than honey 
from the flowers. They collect wax as 
well. 

By looking at this flower we can see 
where the bee finds both the honey 
and the wax. The honey is buried 
far down in the centre of the flower, 
and in trying to get it the bee carries 
the pollen away on his fuzzy coat and 
on his legs. 

"Oh, velvet bee, you're a dusty fellow, 
You've powdered your legs with gold." 

149 



The Child Housekee 



per 



STORIES 



" The Song of the Bee," St. Nicholas Magazine, 
September, 1887, page 845. 

"Ironing Song," St. Nicholas Magazine, March, 
1883, page 364. 

" Buzz," Maurice Noel. 



Lesson Fourth — Woollens 
articles needed for this lesson 

2 pieces of white soap. 

A picture of sheep. 

The woollen articles brought by the children. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

Fill the tubs with warm water and 
add a strong solution of soap, using any 
reliable white soap. Wash the flannels 
by manipulating them quickly, but do 
not rub them. To remove the spots 
and the soil on the edges use a small 
brush. Rinse the clothes in clean water, 
the same temperature as the suds, to avoid 
shrinking. Shake, then pull gently into 
150 



Laundry Work 

shape, and hang them up to dry. If the 
article is of a delicate color, do not hang 
it in the sun. It is important to dry 
woollens as quickly as possible. If the 
material is flannel, iron it at once. 

While the wash is drying, talk about 
wool; its growth, and preparation for 
use. Show pictures of sheep and describe 
a shearing. If any time remains, show 
the children samples of cotton, linen, 
and woollen materials, and discuss the 
right way to wash each. 

Be sure that the children understand 
the order for washing clothes. First, the 
table linen ; then the bed linen ; white 
cotton garments ; flannels, handker- 
chiefs ; colored pieces and the stock- 
ings last. 

In a household, the mending follows 
the washing and ironing, and it is so ar- 
ranged here. Tell the children to bring 
to the next lesson a worn stocking or a 
garment in need of a button. 
151 



The Child Housekeeper 

LESSON TALK 

It will be a fine thing if we can learn 
to-day how to wash woollens so that they 
will not shrink or fade. Perhaps we 
have all been disappointed to see a new 
flannel skirt or a pretty sack grow small 
when it was washed. This need not 
happen if flannels are washed in the right 
way. 

The first thing to learn is what the 
temperature of the water should be. 
We must use warm water, not hot or 
cold water. Let us have it so warm 
that we can just bear to leave our hands 
in it. 

If there are soapsuds in the tubs, we 
will put in the clothes and begin at once 
to wash them in our hands. If we rub 
flannels they will shrink, but we can re- 
move the spots and the soil on the edges 
by using a small brush. 

Now we will rinse them in water the 
152 



Laundry Work 

same temperature as before, and quickly 
squeeze them ; shake them well and put 
them on the line. Hang the colored 
things in the shade, for the sun will fade 
them, but hang them where they will 
dry quickly. 

If our work is done, let us rest for a 
few moments and hear another story 
about Belinda. 



BELINDA AND THE SHEEP 

As Belinda was crossing a field one 
day on her way to the village, she saw a 
good old sheep contentedly nibbling the 
moist grass. She remembered that she 
had never seen a sheep do anything else, 
and that the whole flock was so silly and 
helpless that a man and a dog spent all 
their time in taking care of them. 

"Sheep," said Belinda, " is there no 
way in which you can be useful ? You 
do nothing but eat and rest from moni- 
es 



The Child Housekeeper 

ing until night ; you spend all summer 
in the field, and rest all winter in the 
fold." 

"Belinda," said the sheep, "have you 
never noticed my coat ? The clothes that 
keep you so warm in winter are made 
from the wool that grows on my back. 
You think us lazy, but we are very useful 
creatures. In the spring the farmer cuts 
off our fleecy coats, and when cold 
weather comes many people are com- 
fortable because we have spent a happy 
summer in the field, and a quiet winter 
in the fold." 

Once a year the sheep are sheared. A 
man takes a large pair of scissors and cuts 
off all the wool from the sheep's back. 
It does not hurt the animal at all, and in 
fact sheep are more comfortable with- 
out their warm coats in the hot weather. 

After the wool is cut off it is thor- 
oughly washed and dried. Then it is 
combed out into long, soft rolls, spun 
l 54 



Laundry Work 

into threads, and finally woven into 
material. 

Years ago people made their own 
woollen goods, but now it is made much 
more easily and quickly by machinery. 

We have said nothing about what 
happens when wool shrinks. If we 
could take one fibre of wool and mag- 
nify it we should see that it is made of 
millions of little scales very close together. 
When two of these fibres are twisted, the 
little scales lock into each other, and it 
is very hard to separate them. When 
wool is put into hot water the fibres curl 
and pack still more closely, and the scales 
catch so that it is very hard to pull them 
apart. 

STORIES 

"Old Sheep and the Sheep of Central Park," 
St. Nicholas Magazine, August, 1884, page 747. 

"How a Little Boy got a New Shirt" (from 
the German). "In the Child's World," Emilie 
Poulsson. 

"The Lamb," William Black. 

*55 



MENDING 



Chapter VIII 



MENDING 

" Button, button, who 's got the button ? " 

ARTICLES NEEDED FOR THIS LESSON 

One paper of darning needles. 

One paper of needles, No. 7. 

A ball of darning cotton. 

Thimbles. 

A card of pearl buttons. 

One spool of cotton, No. 40. 

A darning egg. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

HIS lesson follows, 
quite naturally, the les- 
son in laundry work. 

The old saying, " a 
stitch in time saves 
nine," is a good motto 

159 




The Child Housekeeper 

to give the children, with practical 
illustrations. 

Directions are given for stocking 
darning and the sewing on of buttons, 
for they are usually the children's share 
of the weekly mending. 

To make this lesson more interesting 
and instructive, show the class speci- 
mens of cotton plant, steel wire, and 
shells. One may easily get samples of 
cotton in its various forms, from the 
plant to the reel, and it is sometimes 
possible to buy from a manufactory a 
card illustrating the process of making 
needles. 

Tell again the story of Arachne 

LESSON TALK 

In darning stockings we make no 
knot in the cotton, so if our needles are 
threaded and our thimbles are on, we are 
ready to begin. We put the egg, or a 
hand, in the stocking and stretch the 
160 



Mending 

hole so that it is just the right size. As 
the stocking is apt to be thin for a little 
distance around the hole, we begin to 
run little stitches up and down, half an 
inch from the hole. This strengthens 
the stocking; and we surely do not 
want the strong, new darn to tear the 
weaker place. When we come to the 
hole cross it, so that the long stitches 
look like the bars of a cage, and then 
continue the stitches as far as the thin 
place extends beyond the hole. When 
that is done, we run stitches across, 
weaving the needle over and under, 
and making it look like a lattice. 

When that hole is mended, we must 
look carefully for thin places, and run 
strengthening stitches through them, 
and if there are other holes, darn those 
also. 

BUTTONS 

" Rich man, poor man, beggarman, thief, 
Doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief." 
11 161 






The Child Housekeeper 

That is the way we name our buttons, 
and to-day we must see if any are miss- 
ing. A " beggarman " button is gone 
from this apron, so let us learn how to 
sew it on. Here is a needle. We 
double the thread and knot it at the 
end, then draw the needle through 
the place where the button is needed, 
so that the knot is on the right side, 
for we do not wish the knot to show. 
Next push the needle through close 
to the knot, and place the button on it. 
One reason why buttons come off is 
that they are too close to the cloth, so, 
to avoid that, we 
place a pin across 
the top of the 
button and work 
over it. When 
the pin is pulled 
out the button 
seems quite loose, 
but if the thread 
162 - 




Mending 

is wound around the stitches four or five 
times, between the button and the cloth, 
it forms a little neck for the button. 
The strain is relieved, and the button 
will stay on a long time. Then the 
thread must be fastened off well on the 
wrong side. 

As we sew, let us talk about the 
things that we are using. How are 
these sharp little needles made ? They 
are handled by many people before they 
are ready for us to use. Steel wire is 
cut into pieces the length of two nee- 
dles. The workmen sharpen both ends 
on a grindstone and punch two holes 
quite close together in the centre of 
the wire. Then the wire is cut in two 
between the holes, but a great deal of 
polishing and filing is done before these 
bits of steel are called needles, and 
are put into papers in such a prim, neat 
way. The thread that we use is really 
cotton, and it is made from the cot- 
163 



The Child Housekeeper 

ton plant. This plant grows only in 
warm countries, for it needs very hot 
sunshine. 

Think what a pretty sight the cotton 
fields must be, with hundreds of bushes 
bearing bunches of snowy cotton. 

A great many men, women, girls, and 
boys work in the hot fields and pick the 
cotton. Then it is taken to a factory 
and spun into threads. The single 
cotton threads are put on spools such as 
we are using in our sewing to-day. 
Some of the threads are woven into cot- 
ton cloth, and we know how many 
useful things are made of the material, 
— our sheets, aprons, dresses, etc. 

Is it not strange that some of our 
clothes come from the sheep and some 
of them from the cotton plant ? 

If buttons could talk they would tell 
some interesting stories. The pearl but- 
ton would tell of its life at the bottom 
of the sea and describe the pretty shell 
164 



Mending 

houses that are the homes of strange 
fish. Perhaps we should hear of its 
journey to the shore, how it was carried 
by great waves and tossed upon the 
beach. If we examine a pearl button 
closely, pretty, delicate colors may be 
seen, such as we notice in the soap bub- 
bles. Some one has called shells the 
bubbles of the waves. 

" The delicate shells lay on the shore, 
The bubble of the latest wave." 

The ivory button made from an ele- 
phant's tusk would surely tell a story 
of strange adventures in a far-away 
country. Because ivory comes from 
such a distance, it is very expensive, and 
it is not made into ordinary buttons 
such as we are using. But sometimes 
collar and cuff buttons are made of it. 

The wooden button would have sto- 
ries to tell of life in the forest, the bone 
button of animal life, and the china and 
165 



The Child Housekeeper 

rubber buttons would not be lacking in 
good stories too. 

All the buttons could tell us how 
they were taken to a factory and cut 
into little discs with a sharp instrument 
like a fairy's cooky-cutter. 

Hold up your right hands and tell 
me what your thimbles make you think 
of. Years ago, the people in England 
wore the thimbles on their thumbs and 
called them "thumb bells," — and they 
do look like bells, — but we have learned 
to wear them on the tall finger instead 
of the thumb. The Germans call their 
thimbles " finger hats." How grateful 
"tall man" must be when we put on 
his nice little hat before we begin to 
sew. All the finger people help us, but 
" tall man " has to push the needle 
through, and would be pricked very 
often if we did not protect him in this 
way. 



166 



STORIES 

" How Polly Saw the Apron Grow," St. Nicho- 
las Magazine, February, 1888, page 272. 

"Buttons," St. Nicholas Magazine, April, 1883, 
page 467. 

" The Darning Needle," St. Nicholas Magazine, 
August, 1880, page 766. 

" Sewing Song," St. Nicholas Magazine, De- 
cember, 1890, page 104. 



167 



CARE OF THE BABY 



Lullaby 



Andante. 



Alice R. Baldwin. 



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Copyright, 1903, by Alice R. Baldwin. 
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171 



Chapter IX 
CARE OF THE BABY 

" If you make children happy now, you will make them 
happy twenty years hence by the memory of it." 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS 

HEN the children are 
seated in a circle, they 
will be in the most 
convenient position for 
this lesson. As the mov- 
ing of the chairs into place 
is usually a noisy operation, 
direct the children to do it as quietly 
as possible, while the piano is played 

softly. 

Bring the property doll from obscur- 
ity, to be used in demonstration. After 
reading George Macdonald's poem, 
i73 




The Child Housekeeper 

"Where did you come from, Baby dear/' 
rehearse the lullaby. Read the Lesson 
Talk, stopping often to supplement 
and encourage discussion. The follow- 
ing ball and finger plays are simple 
enough for very little children, and may 
be learned at this lesson, for use at home, 
as occasion requires. 

If an occupation is desired, for this 
lesson make kindergarten balls, to be 
taken to the babies at home. Tear 
Turkey red into long strips about three- 
quarters of an inch wide, and roll it into 
firm, round balls. Run long stitches of 
red cotton or worsted around the ball 
here and there, to keep the strips in place, 
and attach a red string, or a narrow rib- 
bon, to the ball. 

BALL PLAYS 

Show the baby how to make a nest 
with his two hands. Put the ball into 
the nest and sing to it, or swing it slightly 

i74 



Care of the Baby 

from side to side. The ball wakes up 
ready for play. It can hop like a bird ; 
run like a mouse ; swing like a ball ; 
whirl like a cart wheel ; walk softly like 
a kitten, and hide. 

FINGER PLAYS 

Take the baby's hand in yours and 
touch the thumb and fingers in turn, 
naming them in this way : This is dear 
mother ; this is father ; this is brother ; 
this is I and this is you ; or call them all 
little men, and make them dance, work, 
and go to sleep. Close the left hand 
and clasp the right hand over it. The 
fingers of the left hand are five little 
children, the protecting right hand their 
house. Open the door and let them all 
go out to play. Then call them all in, 
and shut the door. Suppose you sing 
them to sleep ; they are tired after their 
play. 



*75 



The Child Housekeeper 

LESSON TALK 

" To help is to do the work of the 
world/' so some wise person has said. 
How fine to feel that you are doing that 
when you take care of the baby for a 
while each day. You help the baby's 
mother first of all, but I am going to 
show you, by taking care of him now 
in just the right way, how you will help 
the baby even after he is a man. Then, 
too, you help yourself to have a great 
deal of patience and gentleness. 

While the baby is very little he will 
be fed and bathed by somebody older 
and wiser than you. Your work will 
be to give him his airing and to see that 
he is safe and warm when he sleeps. I 
will tell you a few things that will make 
the baby happy and good even while he 
is very little. 

Let him sleep as long as he will, and 
leave him undisturbed in the crib or 
176 



*ft<. e L u 



> P T, 9 , 




Care of the Baby 

carriage as much as possible. If you 
keep him in motion by carrying him 
about or shaking the carriage, he will 
want the excitement of it all the time, 
and when he cries for it you will think 
he is cross. Always be sure that his 
feet are warm and that the sun does not 
shine in his eyes. 

If he cries, try to think what the 
reason is. Perhaps he has eaten some- 
thing that would not make you ill at 
all, — a tiny bit of apple or cake. Re- 
member that his stomach is not ready 
for these things yet, and if you let him 
eat them it is your fault if he cries. He 
is not naughty, but is trying to tell you 
how he feels. 

Babies are very often thirsty, so give 
him a little fresh water now and then, but 
not very cold water. Perhaps he has 
been sitting still for a long time, until his 
legs ache. If you take him up or change 
his position he will be quiet again. 
179 



The Child Housekeeper 

Very soon the baby wants to feel and 
examine everything. This is the only 
way in which he can learn. You can- 
not keep his hands still, and if you put 
things out of his reach he will want 
them just the same. Give him a play- 
thing of his own ; something that can- 
not hurt him. You must choose 
something that will not soften with 
sucking ; it must not be painted or have 
any sharp corners. The very best thing 
to give him is a soft ball. Watch him 
turn it all around thoughtfully. Then 
if you leave him alone he will make 
discoveries. He will find that it will 
roll if he starts it with his hand. You 
will have to pick it up for him any num- 
ber of times, but that is being patient, 
and is much better than if he tore your 
books or pulled your hair. The baby 
soon learns to love his ball if you sing 
and talk to him about it, 

He is sure to like a doll, so you can 
1 80 



Care of the Baby 

dress up a towel or make a doll with a 
handkerchief. If the baby objects to 
being dressed and undressed you can 
make him forget his troubles by telling 
him little stories about his cap or what- 
ever is especially distasteful to him. He 
will like you to tell how "this little pig 
went to market " ; it will be quite new 
and interesting to him. And 
when you put on the baby's 
shoes, tell him this. 

Here 's a little foot, 
Here's a little shoe, 

Here are little buttons, m* 

And holes to push 
them through. 

One, two, three, four, five, 
Yes, we've counted right, 
Baby, see how pretty, 
And see how round and bright. 

Up and down the house, 
Out upon the street, 
Trot, trot, so they go, 
These happy little feet. 
181 




The Child Housekeeper 

When you tell stories to little chil- 
dren be careful to tell only the pretty 
ones, — about lambs and kittens and good 
dinners. The awful kind, that have 
policemen, bears, and "bugaboos" in 
them, make babies frightened and mis- 
erable for a long time. When you are 
sure that baby is comfortable in his bed 
for the night, sing to him for a little 
while ; it will help him to be quiet and 
to go to sleep quickly. 

I am sure you can see that if you do 
these things for the baby during the 
time you have charge of him, that he 
will be happier when he can walk and 
talk, as well as at the present time, for 
these reasons: You have tried to keep 
him from being fretful and afraid ; you 
have protected his digestion and his eye- 
sight ; you have given his busy little 
hands something to do and his brain 
something to think about ; by treating 
him gently, he has learned to be gentle 
too. o 



Care of the Baby 

You will be proud when the baby 
wants you to put him to bed, and it will 
make you happy to know that he asked 
for you while you were at school. You 
will be glad always, as the baby grows 
older, to know that he is loving and 
considerate because you loved and con- 
sidered him when he was a little help- 
less child. 

BABY 

Where did you come from, baby dear? 
Out of the everywhere into the here. 

Where did you get those eyes so blue? 
Out of the sky as I came through. 

What makes the light in them sparkle and 

spin? 
Some of the starry spikes left in. 

Where did you get that little tear ? 
I found it waiting when I got here. 

What makes your forehead so smooth and 

high? 
A soft hand stroked it as I went by. 

183 



The Child Housekeeper 

What makes your cheek like a warm white 

rose ? 
Something better than any one knows. 

Whence that three-cornered smile of bliss? 
Three angels gave me at once a kiss. 

Where did you get this pearly ear? 
God spoke and it came out to hear. 

Where did you get those arms and hands? 
Love made itself into bonds and bands. 

Feet, whence did you come, you darling 

things ? 
From the same box as the cherubs' wings. 

How did you all just come to be you ? 
God thought about me and so I grew. 

But how did you come to us, you dear? 
God thought of you and so I am here. 

GEORGE MACDONALD. 



184 



GOOD-NIGHT SONG 



Good-Night Song 



Alice R. Baldwin. 





#3 . -^ 3 : 


1 fl 


night! good -night! good - night! 


&— J — — hH — 1— -^ — d n 

-r-XTs, k k — k k 1 -n 


J 1 ^ 





Copyright, 1903, by Alice R. Baldwin. 



187 



MAY 16 1903 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




